Shooting at Aarau rave leaves one dead and five injured

One person was killed and five others wounded in a shooting during an early‑morning rave in Aarau, on the north side of Switzerland near Zurich, the cantonal police said, adding that the perpetrators remain at large.

The Aargau cantonal police said the shots were fired in the Schachen area of Aarau during the night into Sunday. Authorities reported that some of the injured are in serious condition and that the identity of the shooters is not yet known; possible motives and the precise circumstances are still under investigation.

Police are searching for the suspects and have appealed to the public to hand over any video footage of the incident to assist the inquiry.

Large sections of Aarau were cordoned off after the shooting and police presence was increased as a precaution beyond the town itself, the authorities said.

Reports about the event

According to reports, the gunfire occurred just before 3 a.m. at the “Aarau Rave,” an annual techno event held at the Aarau racecourse that drew around 3,500 attendees. The party had opened at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

A witness said they heard “a burst of gunfire.” Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe, although fatal shootings are rare; the country tightened some gun‑control rules in 2019.

Photo: EPA/MICHAEL BUHOLZER